Was it illegal in the 1880's/1890's

[Janet in Yorkshire]

for a man to marry the sister of his deceased wife?

I thought it was until 1907???? -
Deceased Wife's Sister's Marriage Act 1907 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In which case, I have a couple who broke the law, by marrying, in 1887.

What has surprised me is that the groom lived and worked in a small village, and took wife number 2 to live in the same residence he had shared with wife number 1. I could understand it would be easy to get away with it in a city or large town, but would have thought it was more difficult to hide an illegality in a small rural community.

[KiteRunner]

It was technically illegal but not disapproved of by the general public, Janet.

[Olde Crone Holden]

I have a feeling that it was only illegal in the eyes of the church, not in civil law, and therefore such a marriage could quite legally take place in a registry office.

But as Kate says, no-one in the community cared anyway.

OC

[Little Nell]

I have many instances of women marrying their sisters' widowers. The fact that something was illegal didn't mean it didn't happen.

In many ways it was quite practical. An aunt is nearest in genes to the children's mother and would have known the children since birth. The widower knows the family already, it doesn't mean introducing anyone else into the family unit.

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Thank you for your replies - I had wondered if it was just a "church thing".
Not rushing to get the certs as the sisters are twigs, but will be interested to find out at some future point if marriage number 2 was church or RO.

[Little Nell]

Parliament passed the law making such marriages illegal, so it was a civil offence rather than an ecclesiastical one (and of course when the church had more sway, they were happy to pass dispensations in such cases when it suited).

[WendyPusey]

I have a man in my tree who married his dead wife's sister. They went to London to marry and then returned to the Island to live, not in the same village but quite close to his first wife's home.

[Guy]

It was illegal.

Not only was it against civil law but it was also against ecclesiastical law (since biblical times).

Civil law changed in 1907
Cheers
Guy

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Thanks, Guy.

Have now found out he married the first sister in the village church (Freereg) but no entry on there for second marriage.
Possibly it was at the local RO.
With them living in a village rather than a town, I'd wondered if there would have been trouble from the vicar?? Perhaps he didn't know they'd actually tied the knot? (No issue from the second marriage.)

[kylejustin]

i have an ancestor who married two sisters. he appeared on 2 census with his wife, the last with her sisiter, and then on the next census, he 's married his sister in law and there is no death for a wife!!?